Expect to see Florida Atlantic forward Brett Royster’s name tomorrow morning when the league announces the 2010-11 preseason all conference picks. Royster could land on the first team, and should be the favorite for defensive player of the year again; which he won last year with a staggering 90 blocks on the season. But he’s not just known for swats, and also padded his shot percentage with some nasty throw downs as well. And he’s been doing both long before he got to FAU. “I shattered a backboard when I was 15 in an AAU game over the summer for the Arlington Swoosh”, said Royster. Leading the team in rebounds last year with 7.4 grabs per outing, he was second in shot percentage behind DeMonte Simpson at 49.3%, and third scoring while contributing an even 10 points a contest. He got to the line plenty as well, leading all Owls with 121 attempts from the charity stripe. Heading into the 2010-11 season, Coach Mike Jarvis says he not only wants Royster to become a more consistent presence overall, but also up his rebound production to 12-13 per game. If he keeps his progress in line with his first three seasons, he should be in the ball park as scoring, rebounding, and blocks have all increased each year. Royster recently sat down with us for “Up Close”. Fast Break What is your Favorite Book? ” Runaways ” What is your Favorite Movie? ” The Dark Night ” Who is your current off the court role model? “My mom, she works hard, supported me and my sister growing up…no matter what the situation was.” How long have you been playing basketball? “Since I was 13.” What are you most proud of? “Being one of the first people in my family to graduate from College.” What is your major? “Communications, I want to work in the film industry and be a director or a producer.” What is your Faith? “Christian.” Set Plays Other than FAU, what schools did you consider? “Texas A&M, Arkansas Little Rock, and a few others.” What aspect of your game do you feel is your strength? “Shotblocking.” What aspect of your game do you feel is your weakness? “Just my aggressiveness; getting to the basket and scoring while being more confident in my ability to score. The ability is there, I’ve just got to believe that I am capable of doing it.” Open Run Besides basketball, what brought you to FAU? “It was mostly basketball, but I like the area. Boca Raton is a beautiful place and I loved it. More importantly it just came down to I felt more comfortable here than any place else; more of a family type situation. But that sense of family just increased with the new staff. ” What do you want FAU fans to know about you personally? “I am a huge movie fan, and have a cat named Sebastian.” “I love them (fans) and their support for the team.” What are your goals for the upcoming season? “I think this is the year that I finally live up to the expectations of what I am capable of. If I do my part, we have a better chance of accomplishing our team goal of winning the conference.”
